


Courtship and Consort

by Trixxster103



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: 1800's AU, A lot of liberties taken with the time period, Alternate Universe - Human, And Bismuth helps, F/F, Fluff, Gratuitous Descriptions of Food and Clothing, Jamie/Garnet Friendship, Literally so many characters get mentioned, M/M, Pearl is not a Useless lesbian, Scheming Sardonyx, She has a list and will not be stopped!, Sibling Bonding, Teasing, a litte self indulgent, fancy parties, inspired by Repute and Rapture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-18
Packaged: 2019-01-07 11:02:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12231510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trixxster103/pseuds/Trixxster103
Summary: 'Pearl had known for a long time that Garnet liked her as more than a friend, but she appreciated the distance, the respect, of her cool, stoic countenance, even during the worst touch starved days after Rose’s death. She’d appreciated it much less when she realized her own feelings, were and had been, the same for a very long time.'Or the one in which Pearl refuses to be deterred by the universe in confessing to Garnet.Loosely inspired by Repute and Rapture by TheTruthHertz.





	1. Bold

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheTruthHertz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTruthHertz/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Repute and Rapture](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11771472) by [TheTruthHertz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTruthHertz/pseuds/TheTruthHertz). 



Pearl’s current plan, like most of her recent ones, was not going well. Actually, not going well was an understatement: it was a train wreck. It had been simple: go to the small celebration, get Garnet alone, follow the proper etiquette for courtship and hopefully succeed. Every single step had been quickly and summarily stomped on so hard she might as well have started her whole list on fire and thrown it out the window.

First there had been the party. Pearl was usually reticent about the huge balls that Greg would drag Amethyst off to; they were usually, loud, bawdy and full of drunk gossipers with wandering tongues and even more wandering hands. Garnet had smiled and assured her it would just be a small get together, just them and their close friends, having a low key celebration that the second war was finally over. It hadn’t been nearly long enough time waiting by etiquette standards, but Pearl had been bucking standards and traditions for decades and saw no point in stopping.

Of course, things never seemed to go to plan or stay simple when Steven and Amethyst got involved. It had started innocently enough. Steven had wanted to invite Connie, and how could they say no? Pearl and Greg had shared a side long glance at each other, wondering how much longer they would have to wait before Steven and Connie became an official couple, following the proper etiquettes of courtship. That thought always spread a wry grin across her face, Pearl knew that the man was supposed to do the asking, but the glint in Connie’s eye every time they locked swords told her that the young woman’s own inhibitions about breaking social morals were steadily crumbling. She wouldn’t put it past her pupil, who she was mournfully running out of things to teach to, to get fed up with waiting and do the asking herself.

Of course allowing Connie to come just prompted Amethyst to ask if her cousins could come, and Pearl wanted to say no, fearing the unintended destruction they would no doubt cause, but the guilt wore on her, and she caved in a matter of hours. She wanted things between her and Amethyst to stay good again, and the Famethyst had proved kind, if a little overwhelming. She hadn’t realized how quickly saying yes would escalate things to a point that she hadn’t anticipated.

Greg asked if he could invite some of his older friends, and Pearl had forced a smile on her face, knowing that nothing bad could truly come of Barb, Martha, Vidalia and the Mahaswaran’s coming, but the swelling size of the gathering was grating on her. She’d never been good with crowds. Greg’s invitation had broken the dam, and suddenly, Martha had invited her husband, and Connie had invited Jeff, and then Steven had insisted on inviting Lars and Sadie, the bakers, which meant inviting the Off-Colors and the trio of artist that had named themselves The Brickies (a title that meant brave or fearless, according to them), which of course meant that, despite the wealth and size of Sardonyx’s estate, they would have to find a new venue. This had prompted the lead Bricky, Buck, to talk to his father, Lord Dewey, who freely offered up his castle, and then before Pearl knew it she had agreed to go a party where the entire town (dreadful Prince Kevin included, much to Steven’s chagrin) had been invited, along with all of their friends and allies.

The very thought of it had almost sent Pearl scuttling off in a panic, and refusing to even step within a few feet of it. Steven had pulled out his best pout, and hugged her around the waist, telling her how much he wanted her to come, and reassuring her that Lord Dewey would definitely have some quiet rooms sectioned off that she could sneak into. Garnet had smiled again, and told her that it would be nice if she came, and assured her nothing bad would come of the night, and Garnet’s predictions rarely rang false. Even Amethyst had smiled and lightly punched her on the shoulder, joking that there’d be enough other philosopher types there for her to sit and talk quietly to, if that’s what she wanted. And Pearl had been unable to deny such earnestness from all of them.

In the end she crossed off the first item of her list quite begrudgingly, but with a vow that she wouldn’t let it stop the rest of her plan. She’d simply have to re-calculate and adapt. She’d done it before, long ago, in the first war. It was time to be bold again.

Unfortunately, boldness proved useless in the face of the universe, and the second step of Pearl’s plan spiralled out of control as quickly as the first. Pearl had wanted to help out, her natural perfectionist tendencies screaming at her to make sure every decoration was perfectly placed and not a speck of dust remained, but Sardonyx has politely shooed her out, reminding her with a loud laugh that she would have no trouble getting Bismuth to carry her out of the castle and back to her own estate.

Despite the change in venue Sardonyx was still insistent on playing host as she had wanted to, and Lord Dewey was helpless against her insistence. The few decorations Pearl had spied before she had been sent away spoke of Sardonyx’s excellent taste, and she had left with the wonderful smell of food following her. Pearl knew Sardonyx had almost as exacting standards as herself, with a little bit of her dramatic and oftentimes manic flair thrown in, and lamented that the party was going to be so big she’d probably get little chance to enjoy it all.

She’d been right. They’d arrived early, even with Steven insisting on redoing his tiny ponytail several times in panic that Connie wouldn’t like it, and the castle had already been packed. Leave it to the people of Beach Town to arrive to a party early. Pearl had almost stepped out of the cart that brought them there, and walked right back home until Steven grabbed her hand.

A screaming Peridot had lightened the mood enough to make Pearl more comfortable, and she pushed back against her panic to continue with the second step of her plan.

“What do you mean we can’t stable Pumpkin here, you incompetent clod? Is this because he’s a donkey? I’ll have you know he’s better trained than most of these evil horses are!” Peridot was practically foaming at the mouth, Lapis hanging off her arm with a tiny, amused little smirk on her face.

The two of them had been the first to get married, and Peridot had taken a perverse pleasure in rubbing it into Lady Jaune Diamond’s face that she was going against everything that the Diamond monarchy stood for. She’d never admit it, but Pearl was proud of the two of them. They’d certainly done well in the tiny, radical kingdom Rose had eked out for all of them.

The stable boy looked unamused by Peridot’s words, until Lapis shot him the dirtiest, angriest look she could. With a gulp, he rushed to stable Pumpkin, panicking at the two horses hitched to Greg’s cart, Van and Dondai, before Pearl waved him off. She could stable the horses herself.

“Good riddance!” Peridot spat. “Sorry about that Lapis. Some clods, huh? But I sure showed him!” The smaller woman puffed out her chest and Lapis just laughed and agreed with her, too enamored with the manic blonde to tell her that she had been the one to make the valet comply.

“It’s like they forget whose kingdom they’re in! All people here are free to dress and love who and how they want.” Peridot’s declaration was quite a bit louder than necessary, Pearl thought as she unhitched the horses, but the effort wasn’t lost on her. Peridot had come far, and she was honored to call her a friend.

As she picked a few stray twigs out of Van’s mane she took in the two women’s appearance, wondering if that could’ve indeed been a reason why the stable boy had seemed so hesitant.

Lapis’ bright blue hair was as eye catching as ever, but it clashed garishly with the orange dress she was wearing. The skirts were thick and flowing, rippling as she twirled her body slightly, stuffed with layers of crinoline and lace, and covering her usually bare feet. The bodice was thick and layered, covering everything up to her neck, making Lapis look like one of the strange puritanical zealots of the Diamond kingdom. It grated on Pearl to see the usually free spirited Lapis, who always ran around without shoes or corset so trussed up. It was like the way Jasper had made her dress so long ago when they were still enemies. Squinting, Pearl noticed an odd seam running straight through the middle of the dress, and felt her hands go slack around the horses’ reins.

She didn’t have time to puzzle out Lapis’ outfit further because the precious half minute of flirty banter between the wives Pearl had had to stare unabashedly during was ending, meaning all of them would be expected to say hi. As they exchanged pleasantries and Pearl stroked the horses’ manes, (being sure to scratch Van a little extra, since he was getting old) she turned her examinations to Peridot’s outfit.

Peridot’s military cut jacket was a gorgeous forest green, and showed off her boxy shoulders, while tucking in at the waist to not lose her curving hips. Pearl suspected Lapis was behind that alteration. The brown breeches were loose and bulged at the leg, disappearing into knee high, oiled leather boots, inky black in contrast to the rest of the outfit. On anyone else it would’ve looked silly, but Peridot completed it with an authentic looking Biltmore hat, and strutted around with such pride and confidence that it was impossible to tear her down. She’d even pinned a few of the fake medals Bismuth had taught Steven to forge on her breast, and they glinted in the moonlight.

As Pearl strode away with the horses in tow, she wondered if she’d ever be brave enough again to go wandering around in a uniform from a made up story of the far away colony across the sea, where it was still wild and unsettled and men on horses were still the law of the land. _The Land of Pining Hearts_ was banned in the Diamond’s kingdom, but had flourished and gained a healthy audience in Rose Quartz’ tiny kingdom.

Van huffed and fussed when Pearl tried to leave, so she stayed with the temperamental stallion, feeding him hay by hand, and cooing soft words to him until he calmed down, almost a quarter hour later. Dondai, the smaller, but faster, mare just shook herself disdainfully, as if ashamed at the much older horse’s stubbornness. Pearl just shook her head at their antics as she left the barn.

By the time Pearl slipped into the party, Garnet and the rest of the Crystal Gems had been swallowed up by the crowd. People were everywhere. Not even a few steps through the door and Pearl was assaulted by a wave of sound and the musk of human existence. Many of them were lingering and mingling in the long hallway that lead to the main ballroom. Pearl kept her head down and walked with purpose, trying to cross the room as easily as possible to get to Garnet and begin her plan.

A hand took her arm, and Pearl was reaching for her sword, and grasping at empty air. The reflex to fight, to run, to protect hadn’t left yet, hadn’t settled down in their new peace times. She wondered if it ever would. Even after the first war, it had taken so long for Pearl to not immediately reach for a weapon every time she was startled or afraid.

A gentler hand took her other arm, looping through hers and pulling her close and the haze of instinct clouding her mind dulled. It was only her sisters on either side. Making space for them in her life again had been strangely natural, as if the years she had spent free, while they toiled for their Diamonds, had never even happened in the first place.

“Nice to see you not dressed up like a stable boy for once.” Yellow’s grin was haughty and her nose scrunched in distaste. “Though I can’t say your current attire’s much better.”

“Leave her be, Yellow, I’m sure she looks very nice.” When Blue spoke her voice was soft, but it carried with it a power to make both sisters stop and listen.

Pearl just sighed, shoulders rippling with sudden tension. She loved her sisters, but they could certainly be a handful. It took several steps for them to get in sync and not tangle their feet together, but they made their way slowly across the great hall to the ballroom. Putting step two of her list off for a little longer should’ve eased her worries, but it only made things worse.

With a laugh, Blue eventually asked, “What are you wearing, Pearl? It feels fancy, I don’t think I’ve ever felt it before.”

“Oh, Steven got it for me. Tailor made, when we went to Empire City.” A small bit of heat filled Pearl’s cheeks at the compliment, and though she tried to be dismissive she knew it was actually a big deal. She had worn it for a reason.

Pearl did usually dress like a stable boy, but no one, least of all Steven, ever seemed to mind, except the Diamonds, of course. It was just how things worked in Rose Quartz’ kingdom; people could dress as they pleased. It certainly made things like sword fighting and riding bareback easier. And it wasn’t as if Pearl was adverse to dresses. She had worn plenty, after all.

But Pearl liked the outfit, because it looked good and felt good, and Steven got it for her. It almost felt selfishly frivolous even so, but Pearl had seen the way Garnet looked at her when they arrived home that night, her supporting a half asleep Steven and guiding him to bed. It had been subtle, but Garnet’s cheeks had colored under her dark skin, and her eyes had widened ever so slightly, revealing once again the attraction that had long bubbled under the surface between the two of them.

Pearl had known for a long time that Garnet liked her as more than a friend, but she appreciated the distance, the respect, of her cool, stoic countenance, even during the worst touch starved days after Rose’s death. She’d appreciated it much less when she realized her own feelings, were and had been, the same for a very long time. Then the Sardonyx incident had happened, and Pearl had wondered if Garnet would ever even look at her again. But she had regained her trust, her arm to hold, and her mutual burning desire.

A tug on her arm, and a shake of her head cleared those sad thoughts from Pearl’s head. Blue was waiting patiently for her to answer her question, and while Yellow still had her lips pursed in displeasure at Pearl’s completely unorthodox outfit there was a sort of wry acceptance and almost haughty glee at the way they bickered over clothes. It felt young and normal again; when they had all still worked for their Diamonds, gossip had been the only thing to keep them sane.

Pearl couldn’t help flushing to her ears as she described the clothes, feeling remiss in lying about them, but unable to tone down her naturally descriptive turn of phrase. Having her bragging so overtly pushed to the forefront of her mind was discomfiting, just like every time someone pointed it out. The thin smile Blue was giving her was enough to make her continue, and just for a moment she wished she could see her sister’s milky eyes, uncovered by the long bangs she had grown after years of staring and teasing.

“I’m wearing black leather boots up to my knees, and white jodhpurs -” Blue interrupted her with a giggle, hand covering her mouth, and Pearl grumbled. Blue was definitely laughing at her, though the teasing was gentle, and affectionate. Pearl didn’t dignify it with a response, plowing ahead in the description and slightly increasing their pace when she noticed they were nearing the door to the main ballroom. A jump in her pulse had her feeling jittery, and she squeezed Blue’s arm to distract herself. “The cravat is similarly white.”

“Mm, and what about your coat? It feels like silk.” Swatting playfully at Blue’s wandering hands, Pearl smiled at Yellow’s eye roll.

“It probably is, nothing else so monumentally wasteful of a fabric could be used for such a display like this.” Yellow’s tone was haughty, and she stuck her nose up in the air. The edge of her mouth twitched though and Pearl grinned at her like a cat. They were both trying not to laugh at Yellow’s faux indignation and ironic snobbery. Beside them, Blue felt no such need for self-control and laughed shamelessly into her hands at their childish display. It was known but not spoken of how much the two younger sisters loved to make their older laugh.

“It’s blue, but lighter than your hair, Blue.” Yellow jumped ahead while speaking to grab at the heavy oak doors to the ballroom and wrench one open, while still trying to keep her other arm interlocked with Pearl’s.

“And the waist coat is cream.” Pearl finished for Yellow as she shoved her way bonily through the door, using all her sharp edges to keep it open, waiting for Pearl and Blue followed her through.

“Oh of course, it’s only proper to have none of them the same color, but still tastefully matching.” Blue laughed conspiratorially.

“I think there’s a lot to be said about propriety,” Yellow tried to inject a little ironic acid into her tone, but was failing on seeing her own sisters’ mirth. The ballroom stretched before them, teeming with more than the entire town, people mingling and conversing freely between small groups, breaking off and joining with abandon.

“Well Garnet likes it,” Pearl shot back, ignoring the crowds completely in favor of pushing her sister’s buttons.

“What happened to dressing only for yourself and not other people, huh? Since when did you start wearing clothes for her?” Extracting her arm from Pearl’s, Yellow turned around to glare at her sister with a perfectly sculpted brow neatly raised.

“Says the lemon drop trying to turn Jasper’s head.” In retaliation Pearl stuck her tongue out at her sister.

Yellow’s mouth worked, trying to form a sentence through the blush heating her face and the embarrassment robbing her voice. It wasn’t completely wrong. Yellow was wearing her namesake, as she often did, just as Blue wore soft pastel blue dresses with shoes to match. But this time was different. The yellow was bolder, brighter, the dress shorter, coming down only to her mid-calf, not as daring as Lapis Lazuli usually was, but still bold for the so called standards of the time.

Eventually Yellow managed a strangled noise, and then stamped her foot, shooting Pearl a dirty look before hurrying away to the table laden with punch – which was also quite near to where Jasper was regaling Sugilite with a story, Pearl noted.

“Don’t tease your sister, Pearl,” Blue admonished, with a long suffering shake of her head.

“She wasn’t going to say anything otherwise, and Diamond’s help us, we’d be waiting years for Jasper to say something,” Pearl justified smugly.

“Kind of like we’ve been waiting years for you and Garnet to say something to each other?” Blue suggested innocently.

“That’s different,” Pearl tried to justify, quietly, wringing her hands together softly. But she knew it was a lie.

“She really likes you.”

“Oh?”

“I can hear it in her voice when she talks about you.”

Blue moved her hands from Pearl’s arm quickly, settling one on her shoulder and the other on her back, practically buzzing from excitement. “But that’s what tonight’s for, isn’t it?” Pearl’s nod was shy and unnecessary as Blue was already pushing her in the right direction, allowing her to finally glimpse Garnet in the thick crowd, milling against the far wall with Amethyst and Greg. “Go get her!”

“Wait, will you be alright by yourself?” Pearl stumbled and started to turn back, worry and care lacing her features.

“Don’t worry about me, Pearl, I have someone I’m meeting tonight too.” Pearl didn’t need to see Blue’s eyes to know she winked at her.

Blue shooed her away with the simplest wave of her fingers, and before Pearl could realize it, she was walking boldly to Garnet. Out of the corner of her eye she caught Yellow blushing and flirting with a clearly enamored Jasper.

The food turned out to be a bigger distraction when Pearl noticed that someone, most likely Bismuth or Sardonyx, had taken care to make sure there were foods she could actually eat at the party, considering she was allergic to almost everything. Her stomach growled, and with a sigh she took a detour towards the massive table spread with every kind of food that Beach City could offer. The others, especially Garnet, always worried if she didn’t eat enough.

The table was almost as long as the room itself, and covered in a beautiful brown cloth, embroidered with complicated patterns that Pearl found very pleasing to look at. There were more than a dozen potato dishes, courtesy of the Fryman’s potato farm, lamb, beef, pork, chicken, and duck, with other sweet meats scattered throughout. There were piles of bread of all textures and sizes, and desserts piled to the ceiling, including the purple cake that the redheaded baker said was from his home town, and that had ended up being delicious despite its concerning color. And finally towards the end was baskets overflowing with fresh picked fruits, ripened and bursting with juice. Most of them had been passed over for other, more savory fare, which Pearl found just fine, as she made a beeline towards that side of the table. Something small and light, and then the second step of her plan.

The second step, and thus the other’s that were dependent upon it, ended when Rhodonite, carrying a heavy gravy dish, accidentally smashed into an unaware Pearl who had leaned over the basket of peaches for an apple above it. In trying to steady herself, Pearl, already dripping with gravy, managed to tug the table cloth and spill the basket of peaches on herself, adding sticky fruit juice to the ways in which the universe seemed intent on destroying her carefully laid plans.

With the cleverly written list she’d made in her mind burning, Pearl fled the ballroom, sticky with fruit juice and gravy and mourning the perfect opportunity that she’d somehow managed to ruin.


	2. Precise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bismuth and Sardonyx meddle in the best way possible. Lapis and Peridot are an excellent distraction. And Pearl steps up to win Garnet's heart.

“I don’t understand how you don’t break your back bending that way.”

Pearl scowled at the beautiful night sky, utterly bitter that it was so much more perfect than her life. Her feet made divots in the dirt, back pressed against the wide rim of Lord Dewey’s castle fountain. What used to be a splendid and beautiful yard, filled with blossoming trees and flowers, and an extravagant fountain with incredibly clear blue water had fallen into disrepair with Dewey’s declining power. The fountain was rimed with a thick layer of dirt and filled with old dirty leaves that brushed Pearl’s fingers. Her head was almost touching the bottom of the fountain, her whole body stretched in a mockery of proper human form.

With a huff, Pearl flipped herself up into a sitting position on the rim of the fountain, heedless of the dirt that her normal meticulousness despised; the gravy and peaches had already succeeded in ruining her outfit. Tears pricked the corner of her eyes, not least of all because it was Steven that had so thoughtfully had the outfit tailored for her, and now it seemed beyond repair.

“I was a dancer,” Pearl finally responded to Bismuth, who took a seat next to her with a glib smile.

“You still are, if you can bend like that, honey.” A snort followed, and Bismuth opened her arms. Pearl scowled down at herself before giving in and scooting over to Bismuth, letting the stocky woman wrap an arm around her.

Bismuth chuckled. “Sticky.”

“Bismuth!” Pearl yelled in embarrassed indignation, her face reddening, and her shoulders hunching.

“It’s not that bad, Pearl! Besides, don’t you know the way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach? And you smell delicious.” Bismuth winked at her, ruffling her already messy hair gently.

Pearl just groaned into her hands, trying to hide the intense flushing of her face. She always seemed to get embarrassed by the smallest things and she hated her body’s betrayal every time it happened.

“So,” Bismuth probed lightly. “How many times has Dewey hit on you tonight?”

“None.” Pearl’s chuckle was smug and self-assured and Bismuth thought it was a much better look for her than moping sadly.

“Seriously? With how he’s been kissing ass tonight I thought he would’ve at least tried.” Bismuth seemed a lot more put out than she should’ve.

“Better everyone else than me,” Pearl shuddered. “I don’t understand why that man can’t take a hint.”

Bismuth bit back the retort about someone else not taking hints from a certain someone. “Rumor is he’s trying to highly endear himself to the people of Beach Town. No one wants a violent revolution, but no one’s very fond of princes, especially Kevin, lately. They’re talking about a government decided by the people.” Bismuth’s voice became a low whisper as she spoke, such things too fragile and precious to break by speaking loudly about them.   

Pearl marvelled at that suggestion, seeing the puzzle pieces fall into place in her mind immediately. “And I suppose he’s trying to make sure that he’s the one they decide on? Maybe if he had cleaned up this dump. It’s worse than Amethyst’s room.”

It wasn’t even an exaggeration. The yard was in complete disrepair, the wall crumbling and covered in thick vines. The sludgy ground was littered with dead leaves, piles of animal droppings, trampled flowers and puddles of cold reeking water. A much disused hedge maze was stuffed into the back corner. It had been fine long ago, when Steven was four, but even then it had only been barely maintained – just enough for Lord Dewey to keep up appearances – and was so short that Pearl could easily see over the top of it. She shuddered to think about what might be in it after years of neglect.

“I’m sure it is.” Bismuth laughed heartily, and Pearl sighed into her. The larger woman was warm and kind and for a long moment she considered giving up. It would be easy to rope Bismuth into sitting with her until she felt suitably less embarrassed enough to escape the party. All of Pearl’s earlier hunger turned to ash at the thought of _rumors._ Though no stranger to them, Pearl didn’t enjoy them. She knew what people said about her. And she especially knew what people said about her and Garnet.

‘A former lady and a servant, please?’ Have you seen the way she practically hangs off of her arm?’ ‘Ugh, it’s disgraceful.’ ‘If their positions were reversed…’ ‘And after what happened between them?’ ‘She acts like a wilting flower all the time.’ ‘Aren’t knights not supposed to need to be rescued?’

A familiar static built up behind Pearl’s eyes. It was difficult to push all those thoughts down and away. Garnet tended to be a private person, and Pearl respected that. But neither of them had managed to escape the public scrutiny after the fight they caused with Sardonyx. Thankfully most of the details were unknown to most of the public, but that only seemed to fuel the fire of the rumors even further.

The truth was simple, Pearl had lied to Garnet repeatedly to get access to Sardonyx’s company, enjoying the way the older woman made her feel, confusing the sugary strength and affection for love and wanting for another hit. The thought of it still made Pearl cringe hard, and Bismuth smiled tightly down at her, but didn’t say anything. No point in dredging up the past when she did it so perfectly herself.

“So,” Pearl started, forcing the words thickly past her lips. “Who else knows I’m out here?”

Bismuth knew that what she meant was: who else saw that incredibly embarrassing display and what are they saying about me? “Hard to say who was paying attention enough to notice. Sardonyx and I saw you from the balcony, and Rhodonite came to her in a panic after what happened. Sardonyx is basically running this whole party, you know? She even ‘borrowed’ several of the rooms for the actors and one for herself! Said she would take care of it and that Rhodonite shouldn’t trouble herself. But…”

“She probably is, on my account.” Pearl finished for her.

“So, what are you going to do about it, Pearl?” Bismuth had that twinkle in her eye, the one that was challenging Pearl to be better than herself. To push past the static of the rumors and take control.

Pearl had a feeling though that if she didn’t Bismuth would just pick her up and make her do it. With a deep breath she took a moment to categorize each rumor, refute it and then write it off, and while doing so she worked on another new list. “I’m going to march up to Sardonyx and make her help me.”

Bismuth simply laughed and leapt up, half dragging Pearl with her.

 

 

Garnet swept the brightly lit room, thankful for the relief her dark glasses provided for her sensitive eyes. Eventually she suspected Sardonyx or The Brickies would find a way to dim the lights, in an effort to increase the ‘atmosphere’ they so desired. It was so obvious the way the three of them looked at each other, teenage hormones running rampant and wild. She was surprised that they hadn’t snuck off yet. Instead they seemed to be leaning against one of the far walls, furtive and secretive. Garnet suspected they were drinking, but saw no reason to mention that to their parents. They were certainly in a safe place to do it, and she understood the importance of a little youthful rebellion here and there. Still, she was glad that Steven wasn’t partaking.

As her eyes scanned over the huge crowd, looking for a particular head of coral pink hair, she paused occasionally on other familiar faces. Peridot had pulled out her chart, unfolded it and was explaining to one of Amethyst’s cousins – who was looking equal parts terrified and amused – why the mounted law enforcement officer Pierre was clearly superior to Pauline, and the merit of the series as a whole. Lapis, still in her strange ensemble, just watched in amusement, delighting incredibly at watching her wife annoy as many people as possible. It wasn’t uncommon for them to get kicked out of parties, and Garnet had a hunch that it would be faster than usual that night.

Amethyst was spotted next, stuffing her face with Greg and ruining her already ripped dress that she wore more times than she should, until Pearl would yell at her to go change. Steven and Connie were dancing circles around some of the older kids, together, but not together _together_ in that tentative way they so often had. The kind of way where they kept circling past their real feelings and coming back around to the same relationship they’d always had. Garnet couldn’t even be mad about it, knowing that would be hypocritical of herself.

A yellow tuft of hair drew Garnet’s eyes and she saw the shy, furtive dance steps Yellow and Jasper were making together. Smiling to herself that it finally happened, Garnet checked the people next to Yellow, knowing that Pearl was unlikely to pass up an opportunity to tease her sister about Jasper. She was disappointed. She only saw Blue, laughing nearby, surrounded by four of Amethyst’s ‘cousins’ (none of them, were in fact, related. It was simply the work of a strange, cruel governess staffing her house entirely with orphan girls who had been named Amethyst.) Carnelian, whom Skinny was leaning on like an armrest, Curly and Sharky,were all equally interested in Pearl’s oldest sister and possibly each other. Each of them seemed to be doing her best to outdo the others and convince Blue to dance with her first. Garnet’s smile widened, and she hoped their future was a good one, whether it was with one, two or all of them. Intuition suggested it would be.

Movement startled Garnet, though she kept her reaction neutral, and she snapped her eyes to the ground in front of her. Polished, knee high black boots covering bright white jodhpurs and leading to a dark blue coat, had Garnet momentarily grinning in excitement. She tried not to frown in disappointment upon seeing the mop of messy brown hair and dark eyes on Jamie’s earnestly smiling face.

“Lady Garnet,” He began, stepping into an exaggerated bow and raising his hand to hers. “I simply can’t abide that you’re not dancing with anyone. Would you allow me the honor of correcting that injustice?”

Garnet raised a brow, and adjusted her glasses lower so she could peer perplexedly at Jamie despite the brightness of the room. But his smile was genuine and kind, and the hint of trepidation meant he knew what he was asking, and what their relationship was.

In a move that surprised him, Garnet swept him up and around, pulling them onto the dance floor, leading until he regained his composure. “I would be honored to dance with a friend.”

Jamie chuckled self-deprecatingly. “I’m glad I didn’t overstep my bounds. Honestly, it’s easy to dance with you because you don’t like me that way. It’s not scary.” As he gained more confidence in his footing they slowly switched so he was leading.

In only a few moments they had joined the small throng of dancers already on the floor. Jamie was quick and light on his feet once the muscle memory kicked in, and they circled each other effortlessly in the line.

When they came together again in the middle of the song, Garnet took the opportunity to look pointedly away from Jamie, and when he followed her line of sight it was to the back of the skinny ginger baker boy. Jamie yelped then, and trained his eyes fixedly on Garnet’s again, though he had to strain a little to look up at her.

“He won’t say no if you ask him.”

Jamie’s voice quavered, and he was thankful for their separation again to circle the other dancers. When they returned to each other he was only slightly more composed. He was about to speak plainly when –

“No one else has noticed, though it is quite obvious to me,” Garnet said in answer to his unspoken question.

When next they circled back to each other, Jamie had set his jaw arrogantly, embarrassment making his steps clumsy. “What about you, Garnet? You won’t convince me that I am really the person you want to be dancing with right now.”

“I get scared too, Jamie,” Garnet told him, voice tight and low, fingers gripping his slender wrist forcefully until they broke apart again.

As Jamie spun around, the room fell away in a mush of color and sound, and he tried and failed to reason why. They met in a rush and he jumbled out his question, brain slushy with thoughts of the boy he wanted to be dancing with.

“I am afraid it won’t mean anything.” Garnet said it so quickly it nearly slipped past him, but when he was able to grab onto that thought he held it tight and then it was diffusing through him quickly and earnestly.

If he danced with Lars, it would mean something. It would be known and tangible. Everyone would see, and accordingly, talk about it. His claim would be staked. But Pearl danced with a lot of people. Steven, Amethyst, even Greg had been given a dance the last time he had seen, and as always there was not the least of all her dancing with Garnet. If they danced, it could mean something, or nothing, and Jamie felt a sympathetic trickle of fear twist in his gut.

Then they were stopped in the middle of the dance floor, and Jamie was working out the words to offer as a comfort, but Garnet was in control, as she almost always was and with an amused smile, she had grabbed his hand, pulled him closer, and then spun him out. His feet reacted automatically, and when he reached the edge of her long grasp she let go instead of pulling him back in and his momentum collided him with Lars.

Jamie landed perfectly in his arms, the breath knocked out of the both of them, and they stood together for far longer than was proper, eyes wide and starry. “Hi.” Jamie offered, cracking his face into a smile.

Lars coughed, then stepped back politely, bowing shallowly to him. “I, uh, saw your play the other day in town. As Hamlet. I didn’t really get it, and usually I think theatre’s pretty dumb, but I’ve never seen someone look so handsome and lonely before.”

“As fine a compliment as any,” Jamie stuttered out, trying to muster up some of Garnet’s collectedness. “If I were but acting.”

“Then I suppose I will have to solve one of those problems. Perhaps you can explain the play to me?” Lars suggested easily, coming off cooler than he had in a long time.

“I don’t see how that will solve the problem of my handsomeness, but I suppose I can oblige you anyways.” Jamie laughed loudly, linked arms with Lars and shot Garnet the cockiest wink she had ever seen from him.

They wandered off together in flustered conversation and Garnet had to keep the saccharine smile off her face. She was a romantic at heart, and though the future seemed like it could end either way for the two men, at the moment she was just happy to be witness to something between them.

Someone bumped into her, and she strode pointedly back to the wall she had been leaning against, uncaring in the slightest of the dirty looks shot her way. Disappointment curdled heavily in her stomach, laced with fear and worry. She hadn’t seen Pearl and there was a chance that she had ended up too overwhelmed and headed home anyways, which made Garnet unfathomably guilty; she had promised Pearl everything would be okay. Or she could’ve snuck into Dewey’s massive library and was whiling the time away until they could leave in peace. Garnet had a feeling she would be the one who had to go and be assertive, though she had been certain she saw a brand new spark of confidence in Pearl that she had hoped to fan at the party.

Convincing Pearl to ask her meant that she didn’t have to do it herself, genuinely afraid though she was of Pearl’s reaction. She knew Pearl liked her dearly, much more than a friend should. That much was obvious. What wasn’t obvious was what Pearl would do about it at any given time. After Rose had felt much too soon, and when Pearl chased after the mysterious woman on the horse she had cursed herself as being too late, and yet there again fate had presented her a chance.

Garnet was resolved to start her search for Pearl when she finally found Sardonyx in the crowd. Now there was a perfect partner in crime, and a friend she hadn’t seen for too long and had missed dearly. She longed to catch up. The people forming a semi-circle around the tall woman stopped her though and then Garnet noticed she had one hand on each of the shoulders of Lapis and Peridot, who were grinning devilishly at each other.

 

 

Lady Sardonyx was known to smash. Smash expectations, smash propriety, smash well-crafted plans, and most importantly smash in the faces of the bad guys. Tall, and with a booming laugh Sardonyx was a force to be reckoned with. Even Lord Dewey had been unable to stop Sardonyx taking back the party that he had tried to make his own when offering up his castle.

So the precision with which Sardonyx had agreed to help Pearl had not been surprising. She could snap her fingers and have things done, and done gladly, in an instant. When Pearl marched up to the tall woman – having discreetly taken a side hall and shadowy stairs to the second floor to avoid being seen – and tapped her on the shoulder, she only barely got a word in edgewise before she was being whisked off to the actor’s room, and practically thrown behind the folding screen adorned with brave knights and wilting maidens.

It felt almost uncomfortably planned. Halfway through undressing Rhodonite appeared with a pile of folded clothes, warm towels and a jug of fresh water. Once again Pearl realized how much she appreciated the fact that men’s clothing required no other hands but her own to dress and undress. When she had piled the ruined clothes neatly beside her boots, shivering slightly in the cool air of the castle, she drew the water and towels to her, trying to clean her hair and wash away the cloying scents of meat and fruit left over.

The Rutile twins were in and out in a flash, whisking away Pearl’s clothes and boots, and Padparadscha popped in briefly to tell Sardonyx that Pearl needed her help, prompting gentle laughter from everyone in the room. Pearl dressed in the clean clothes so quickly she didn’t have time to look at them. It wasn’t until Bismuth entered with her boots, polished to an inky black shine and a beautiful sword in a rich leather scabbard that Pearl took the time to look at the full length mirror in the room and look at what she was wearing.

The tunic was dark blue with silver buttons in a neat line down the front. The epaulets on her shoulders were silver as well, and the collar and cuffs were accented with black. The jodhpurs were a snow white. Pearl couldn’t help gaping at herself as she pulled the comfortably worn boots back on her feet. It was regal, both princely and soldier-like in equal measures and Pearl felt a sudden shy unworthiness.

Flourite appeared in the mirror, fussing over Pearl’s appearance, fixing a crooked button, dusting her elbows off and then disappearing back into the shadows from where she came before Pearl could even swallow past her appearance.

“It’s lucky you and Jamie are similarly proportioned,” Sardonyx mentioned flippantly, and that drew Pearl from her breathless reverie. Jamie was kind, and Pearl knew how ugly the jealously that rattled around in her chest because of him was, but she could never stop it, not completely. With a hiss she clenched her eyes shut, listening to Sardonyx obliviously continue explaining. “He was going to put on Hamlet tonight, and that’s part of the outfit you’re wearing, so I think I’ll ask him to do something else. Maybe Twelfth Night? It would be appropriate, no?”

The skin on the back of Pearl’s neck prickled when she felt Bismuth sidle up to her, and she snapped her eyes open just in time for Bismuth to gently muss up her hair and place a simple silver crown on her head. There were no jewels or clothe adorning it, and even knowing that it was made light and austere for the role of Prince Hamlet it stilled weighted heavily on her head. It fit her almost perfectly, tilting haphazardly to the side ever so slightly, and Pearl pulled it off and close to her chest in only a second.

Dressing like a soldier was one thing, she was a soldier, after all. The callouses on her hand and the nightmares during her worst nights were a testament to that. But even those had been softened by years of caring for Steven, softened by gentle touches and familiar house work. But a prince? A prince was someone like Kevin, rude and haughty and ugly inside. Or the Diamond sisters, cruel and demanding and merciless. The first time Pearl had dressed like a soldier, had slipped on pants and realized it was wonderful and vowed to never let anyone tell her what she couldn’t wear had meant something. A crown would mean something.

In response Bismuth handled Pearl the sword she was still carrying, and Pearl exchanged it for the crown automatically. The weight and balance were nearly perfect. It was a beautiful rapier, forged as thought it was made for her, and the hilt golden and inset with small stones over its flowing curves.

“It was supposed to be a birthday present, but I think tonight is better, don’t you?” Bismuth smiled, tapping her shoulder to Pearl’s and trying to get her attention.

Pearl made no effort to respond, as she pulled the sword on slowly, letting its weight settle familiarly at her side. She didn’t need another sword, realistically, but its meaning wasn’t lost on her. It had been a sword, after all, that allowed her the freedom for further frivolous collections and pretty things, like pants and other swords. And having it with her quelled some of the ever present anxiousness looming constantly at the back of her mind. It gave her a respect and power that she wished she could achieve without the effort of the sword, like Lady Sardonyx.

Bismuth came to stand behind her, placing the crown on her head again. This time it didn’t fell so wrong to wear. “Who do you serve?” Bismuth asked, rich and low in the safety of the dressing room.

“Nobody.” Pearl’s voice rang with unwavering conviction, and Bismuth barely kept herself from grabbing Pearl and spinning her in a hug – but that would ruin her clothes again.

Then they were all off, slipping out the room and down the stairs as quietly and quickly as they had first come. Sardonyx and Bismuth talked in hushed voices about whether she should wear the gloves that came with the costume, until coming to the easy conclusion that if Garnet weren’t wearing gloves, Pearl shouldn’t either. Pearl was too busy trying to slow her hammering heart down to even notice and be offended for herself.

It was true, Pearl was no longer a servant. (More like a slave, Greg always muttered with thinly veiled disgust towards the Diamonds, but Pearl didn’t like to think about that too much.) And Garnet was no longer, technically, a lady. Old associations were hard to break, though, and living somewhere free meant dealing with everyone else being free to talk about her as they saw fit.

Sardonyx had promised a distraction for the crowd, but it did little to ease Pearl’s fears. Especially because some part of her wanted everyone to see and know that Garnet and her were together, and involved and no one else would be.

 

 

Peridot had fully expected to get kicked out with Lapis before the night was over, and then take Pumpkin and cause mischief in the deserted town – Lapis had a wild streak and full mouthed smile that made Peridot’s resolve turn to mush and had her saying yes to anything. What she hadn’t anticipated was that it would be so soon.

While she had only met Sardonyx once or twice, Peridot knew that the woman could be larger than life in every way. And so when she saw the lady talking to Lapis, she gulped, knowing that there was situation in which the two of them were working together that did not end in some sort of mischief. The hot, hypnotic look Lapis shot her was confirmation, and Peridot tried to glower at her as the two made their way over.

To her chagrin they convinced her almost immediately. Peridot could barely say no to Lapis on her own, and when coupled with Sardonyx complimenting her outfit so kindly and saying she looked just like Percy, she knew she was done. That their plan would help Pearl and cause a scene was merely a bonus.

Peridot missed most of what Sardonyx was saying, and let the tall woman guide her, too busy staring at the sensual lustful look Lapis was giving her. If nothing else, at least their distraction would be fun for the both of them.

“….And so Lapis is going to teach all of you? Won’t that be fun! Peridot will help, because it takes two to tango of course. Won’t you Peridot?”

“Yes.” Peridot replied belatedly realizing she had missed nearly every word Sardonyx had said, but the crowd was laughing and having fun, so surely whatever joke she’d made had landed.

All eyes were on Lapis and Peridot turned to add hers, seeing Pearl slip close to Garnet but not registering what was actually happening. Lapis was gripping her dress on both sides, clever fingers reaching for clever stitching. Peridot bit her lip in anticipation. This was it.

In the bated silence of the room, the tearing of Lapis’ dress rolled like thunder. The ugly, constricting, conservative monstrosity was completely torn through the middle, ripping easily at the seam Lapis had sewn into it, revealing a gorgeous sparkling dress underneath.

It was silver, and outshone even the most beautiful stars in the sky (in Peridot’s incredibly humble opinion). It was flowing and princess like and, most importantly, wildly inappropriate. The dress barely came down to Lapis’ knees and, as per usual, she refused to wear a corset. Jasper had called Lapis a witch once, and Peridot had growled, offended and angry, until Lapis had shown her what it really meant to be utterly bewitching.

The sleeves were elbow length and when Lapis twirled (for her, she always promised, only for her. Everyone could look, but only she could touch.) Peridot thought she might die. Through the haze of adoration for her wife, she barely registered the booming laugh of Sardonyx, and broke from her trance long enough to see what havoc the two of them had wreaked.

Yellow was looking scandalized, as always, and Jasper looked like she was trying to find a way to suggest a dress like that without getting smacked in the face. Blue was trying not collapse through her deep belly laughter, the four interested woman next to her, laughing and describing the scene, clearly adding embellishments as they went. Amethyst wolf whistled, screaming for her to ‘get some’ and Peridot waved briefly. Greg looked like he was trying to not to crack a smile at their antics so that the other adults wouldn’t get mad at him, and Steven and Connie were stuck trying to get to the front of the crowd to see what was so important.

The rest of the crowd was whispering or outright talking about the offense, and Lord Dewey was trying to force his way to his smirking son, to do who knew what. Someone was probably crying. And in the back the crowd had thinned to watch her enough that Pearl had made it to Garnet, and Peridot remembered why they were there in the first place.

Then Lapis was on her, and she forgot everything anyways.

Peridot didn’t usually like dancing. She was short and small and clumsy, and too many steps made her head hurt and had her stumbling over her own feet. The circle dances were equally as awful, leading her away from Lapis and forcing her to interact with judgemental strangers, though she didn’t mind watching Lapis participate in them, because Lapis loved it. Asking her not to dance would be like asking anyone else not to breath. Lapis danced like she swam, flowing and hypnotic and perfect. Peridot knew she was just a shallow mockery of human form when she danced.

But she had decided that the tango wasn’t too bad. The tango was close and wonderful, Lapis pulling Peridot to her and guiding the two of them with her hands on her chest, just barely above the swell of her small breasts. Just enough to avoid complete public scandal.

Everything else fell away.

 

 

When Pearl tentatively took Garnet’s arm she had been watching the display Peridot and Lapis had been making with barely concealed mirth and no small amount of pride. The little Peridot that had wanted to kill them so long ago had certainly come far. The cool fingers of Pearl’s hand startled her, but she didn’t reveal it as she turned to look at the smaller woman with a raised brow.

A thousand different words tried to fight for a chance to be said, but Pearl pushed all of them down. It was time to _show_ Garnet how she felt. The joyful music that Peridot and Lapis were dancing to was loud, but not loud enough to drown out the waltz that Pearl hummed, as she held her hand out to Garnet.

_Yes._ And she took it, letting Pearl lead them into a quick and close box step. The steps came so naturally that neither of them needed to think about it, and instead they took the moments they were close together to examine the other. Garnet’s cheeks flushed dark at Pearl’s outfit, every line of her wiry muscles outlined in the sharp dress she wore. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Garnet knew she should be wondering why Pearl’s outfit had changed, but she was too busy enjoying it to think about that.

Pearl was blushing just as brilliantly, cheeks painted brightly scarlet against her pale skin, but it was the kind of blush that came from being admired, and she forced herself to not look away and discourage Garnet from looking, lest they go back to circling each other for ever and never confronting their feelings.

Garnet’s dress was red and full, cut asymmetrically at the skirt, and edged sharply with black. It had no sleeves, and every time Garnet’s bare skin brush against even the parts of her that were clothed, Pearl’s skin broke out in a fire.

Pearl refused to repeat what had happened with Rose. She would make Garnet understand if it killed her.

She didn’t think it would though. Garnet danced with her seamlessly, anticipated her every move, knew how to react even when Pearl’s feet naturally guided her into several ballet poses. At one point, they switched leading and Garnet twirled Pearl out until they were connected by only their fingers. When she spun her back in, it was into a strong hold, with arms wrapped warmly around her, Garnet’s chin resting on the smaller woman’s head.

When Pearl set her mouth, and tugged Garnet into letting her lead again, the taller woman took up the song, humming low and sonorously, the song nearing its end. Boldly, Pearl dipped her, and Garnet warmed through her whole body, thoroughly impressed.

Holding Garnet in the dip, Pearl noticed a crease of worry on her face her glasses slightly askew to reveal one of her multi-colored eyes. She longed to soothe it away, and for once, she listened to her longings. The kiss was brief, but searing, close mouthed and perfect. When Garnet reciprocated with only a moment’s hesitation, Pearl knew she’d made the right choice. Her arm shook, slightly, and she figured that’s what Garnet had been concerned for and pulled away so they could stand properly.

The moment they were both upright, Pearl stood a tiptoe, practically throwing her arms around Garnet, who stooped for her so they could kiss properly. Chastity quickly gave way to the long simmering feelings they’d both been denying and in only a moment Pearl was nibbling Garnet’s lower lip for permission, which she granted gladly, both pushing for dominance of the kiss. It was like dancing, and Garnet let out a wanting growl that had Pearl’s knees wobbling with want. Their tongues swirled and Pearl allowed herself to get completely lost in the wonderful soaring feelings she had.

No words were necessary, and even when they were forced to separate for air, Pearl thought she had never felt so strong before as she tucked her head under Garnet’s chin to listen to her heartbeat. It was like all the broken parts of her had been filled and pushed together, but she had done the filling. Garnet just added to what was already there.

“You know,” Garnet started slowly, running her hands freely up and down Pearl’s sides, “it wasn’t your upper arm strength I was worried about.”

Pearl looked up in confusion. “Huh?” And then she heard the cheering behind her.

The flush on her face spread to her cheeks and neck, as Pearl slowly turned around. As she did so, she was pressed close to Garnet, letting her know she wouldn’t run away. The majority of the party had apparently turned around to watch them, and Pearl discovered why easily, Peridot and Lapis making out even less chastely than her and Garnet had been, with Lord Dewey trying to separate them long enough to escort them out, and Sardonyx innocently pretending she had no idea what they’d been planning, though the Cheshire grin on her face gave her away easily.

Despite her embarrassment Pearl couldn’t stop the delirious happiness that bubbled up through her and out in a laugh. The crowd cheered again. Yellow was glaring distastefully in her direction while Jasper whispered something to her, and Blue was screaming herself hoarse, perched on Skinny’s shoulders as the others explained what was going on to her. Amethyst shouted ‘Finally!’ from the crowd, and Pearl was pretty sure she saw money exchange hands between several people.

But most importantly was Steven, screaming half away across the room and jumping neatly into their arms, hugging them and telling them how wonderful it all was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will go down with these crack ships dammit! I did tag this fic self indulgent, and that's what it is, almost embarrassingly so. Seriously though, I just had to give Pearl an outfit like this! I'm a huge fan of Utena and I recently watched the 2005 Pride and Prejudice movie and decided I needed those soldiers uniforms, because they look gorgeous. 
> 
> In researching dances of the 1800's I found out that the tango was 'discovered' in 1890 and I freaking had to jump on that! So yeah, Lapis and Peri know the tango and introduced it to everyone. 
> 
> While writing this part of me asked what the hell I was doing anyways, but like I tagged it this is really just a shippy self-indulgent thing I made because writing this helps me write all my other, more serious stuff. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this so far, there's one last chapter that's basically just fluff. Thanks for reading, leave a comment if you like!

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I did name the horses Van and Dondai. I feel no shame for this. This was initially inspired by Repute and Rapture, wherein I wanted to write a ball/masquerade Pearlnet in the 18th century and then it sort of morphed into... this. Don't worry, it gets better for Pearl from here! 
> 
> For those of you having trouble picturing it, Peridot is basically dressed up like a Canadian mountie, just in green instead of red. I'm Canadian myself and thought it was funny enough to include. I love the Canada jokes from the brief glimpses of Camp Pining Hearts we've gotten in the show and wanted to play off that. 
> 
> Will try and update as soon as possible, but I'm juggling this fic, another one, and school, so we'll see. 
> 
> Bricky is apparently slang for brave or fearless, which I think fits well as a title for the little gang that the Cool-Kids have formed. 
> 
> Thanks for reading, leave a comment if you like!


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